Aurelia Butler

DEONTAY WILDER has a Plan B in place in case his long-awaited showdown with Anthony Joshua fails to come to fruition.The long-time rivals finalised a multi-million-pound deal for their long-overdue grudge match last week.
Deontay Wilder is finally on the verge of fighting Anthony JoshuaCredit: REUTERS
Wilder must first get through Joseph Parker before he can face AJCredit: REUTER
The Bronze Bomber plans to face Francis Ngannou if his fight with AJ falls throughCredit: GETTY
Provided the duo get through their respective clashes with Joseph Parker and Otto Wallin this weekend, they’ll trade blows in a lucrative Saudi showdown on March 9.
And if for some reason their clash doesn’t come to fruition, Wilder will turn his attention to facing former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou.
He told talkSPORT: “It is going to be one or the other, it could be [both Joshua and Ngannou in 2024], but I think it is going to be one or the other.
“It can happen that way where I see both of them, but I know for sure that I am going to get one of them, I know that for sure.
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“So, the future is bright and I’m looking forward to [fighting] whoever I get into the ring with, whether that is both or one, I am grateful for it all.”
Wilder, 38, hasn’t set foot inside the ring since his brutal one-punch KO of Robert Helenius last October.
But he believes his body will have benefitted from his long hiatus, telling TMZ: “I’m expecting to be very fresh.
“I’m expecting to be intact. I got a great team on my side and we’re looking for greatness. Nothing less.”
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Wilder is relishing the opportunity to finally get his hands on Parker, who he was on course to fight back in 2017 when they held the WBC and WBO titles respectively.
And just like he did then, The Bronze Bomber believes he’ll emphatically add the Kiwi’s name to his list of victims.
The former WBC heavyweight champion said: “Here we are again.
“A lot of great things are happening, a lot of doors are opening, and a lot of opportunities are looming around, and kick this thing off.
“I’m looking forward to the ‘Day of Reckoning against Joseph Parker awhile back, but he ran.
“I don’t know how he built the courage up now, but I’m glad he’s here because I’m going to punish him.
“I’m looking forward to fighting him. I can’t wait for it to happen. It won’t be long now.” More

SUNNY EDWARDS showed off the horror facial injuries he sustained following his first defeat as a professional. The flyweight was beaten after nine brutal rounds by Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez in Arizona.
Sunny Edwards was left with horror facial injuriesCredit: X/@SunnyEdwards
Edwards was stopped in nine roundsCredit: Getty
Edwards was dropped but beat the count although he did not come out of the corner for the tenth round.
The Brit spoke out following the defeat online and revealed the extent of his injuries.
He posted: “Left eye went in the 2nd from a sharp jab.
“Was seeing double the majority of the fight. Enjoyed every moment of the event grateful to be a part of it all.
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“@210bam congratulations & well done on a great performance, been boxing 18 years & it’s never been like that.
“Medial orbital fracture. Sorry I couldn’t continue to the final bell, was genuinely worried about my eyesight.”
Edwards, 27, was gracious in defeat when probed post-fight.
He said: “I think it was a great fight, but, yeah, the better man won today.”
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Rodriguez, 23, added the IBF title to the WBO version he brought into the unification bout.
And he said: “I brought something out of him tonight that he couldn’t handle.
“He was a lot quicker than I thought; a lot smarter than I thought. I made him want to fight. He got caught.
“I’m just satisfied that I got the win, period. That was my main goal.
“But during camp, I knew I had what it took to knock him out or stop him and that’s what I did, so (that) just made the win that much better.”
Edwards suffered his first pro defeatCredit: Getty
Jesse Rodriguez was crowned the WBO and IBF unified championCredit: Getty More

JOHN FURY has sensationally revealed he is fearing the worst ahead of son Tyson’s undisputed title fight against Oleksandr Usyk. The Gypsy King’s outspoken dad raised eyebrows in November when he said: “For my money, his last three fights, I have seen a bit of decline.
John Fury raised concerns over son Tyson’s training campCredit: PA
“Not a decline in ability but a decline in strength, power and physical condition.”
John was in Saudi Arabia a month beforehand when Fury, 35, was dropped by ex-UFC champion Francis Ngannou, 37.
The WBC champion controversially escaped the crossover clash with a split-decision points win but the damage had been done.
It saw Fury’s historic four-belt unification bout with Usyk, 36, delayed from December to February 17.
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But still John has raised concerns over his son’s training camp for the fight, which he slammed as “a circus”.
He told Seconds Out: “I never said my son was in decline because he’s not.
“It’s the people around him who ain’t up to much. His training’s in decline and his camp’s in a bigger decline. It’s not a camp, it’s a circus.”
John was not happy with Fury’s preparation to fight Ngannou – and he still carries the same concerns for the Usyk showdown.
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TYSON FURY VS OLEKSANDR USYK: ALL THE DETAILS YOU NEED AHEAD OF HUGE UNDISPUTED HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT
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He said: “I saw him in the gym in Saudi, watched him spar three or four rounds with a couple of kids – I knew then it was gonna be a hard night’s work.
“I thought, ‘What have you been doing?’ I was alarmed, I still am.
“Unless you’re gonna get the eye of the tiger back and go back to the old ways and get the hunger back – sweat, blood, s*** and tears
“Because Usyk’s doing that – sweat, blood, s*** and tears. And he’s got disciplined, professional, great people around him, and I don’t think Tyson has that. I really don’t.”
Fury was recently slammed by Usyk’s team for holidaying in Saudi while the Ukrainian is busy sparring 6ft 10in powerhouses.
And asked if he fears his son could suffer defeat for the first time, John admitted: “Absolutely, if he doesn’t make any adjustments, it well could be.”
Fury enjoyed parasailing in the Middle East with his wife Paris and their seven kids.
But he is now back in his Morecambe training base with head coach Sugarhill Steward.
And he has also called on the help of unbeaten southpaw Thomas Carty, jobbed with replicating Usyk in sparring.

Tyson Fury parasailing in Saudi ArabiaCredit: instagram
The Fury family posing for a picture on holidayCredit: Instagram/@parisfury1
Tyson Fury in the gym with sparring partner Thomas CartyCredit: @_thomascarty
Tyson Fury head to head with Oleksandr UsykCredit: Reuters More

TYSON FURY knocked down an opponent with an “invisible punch” thanks to Dynamo’s bizarre magic trick.The magician has returned with a new special titled ‘Dynamo is Dead’, featuring the Gypsy King.
Tyson Fury closed his eyes to help summon up as much negative energy as he could muster
He then threw a punch in mid-air
His opponent was flung backwards and ended up in a heap on the floor
Fury was tasked with knocking down a man seated on a stool in the opposite corner of the ring from where he was positioned.
Dynamo instructed the heavyweight champion on how to pull off the trick.
He said to Fury: “I want you to take your fist, I want you to imagine all that negative energy, even the doubt you had in yourself, building up into your body.
“And you’re going to look right at James, and just throw that punch in the air when you feel ready.”
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Fury, 35, closed his eyes and brought his breathing under control as he prepared to throw the punch.
He then threw a left hook and James was thrown backwards from the stool.
James was heard groaning in pain as an onlooker gasped: “Oh my god!”
Fury will be hoping for all the positive energy he can muster when he takes on Oleksandr Usyk in February.
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Usyk’s manager Egis Klimas has already criticised Fury for “playing around” on holiday while the Ukrainian has been hard at work sparring in the gym.
Usyk was also stunned to see his upcoming opponent taking it easy, though Team Fury has reportedly signed up two talented southpaws to help their champion prepare for the challenge of Usyk. More

A BOXER’S body “malfunctioned” as he was battered by a barrage of punches.But he then appeared to start celebrating in worrying scenes on the Jake Paul undercard.
Joshua Temple’s body ‘malfunctioned’ after being punched by Lorenzo MedinaCredit: DAZN Boxing
The fight was called off but he appeared to start celebratingCredit: DAZN Boxing

Paul beat fellow American Andre August with a first-round knockout in Orlando on Friday night.
But during the build-up to the main event, Joshua Temple was stopped by 19-year-old Lorenzo Medina in round six.
And it left commentators and fans alike concerned for the defeated fighter’s welfare.
Medina – who had an awkward rip in the back of his shorts – went on the offensive in the sixth round and delivered a crushing right hand.
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And the heavy impact clearly took an immediate toll on Temple.
His body wobbled and he appeared to lose control of his arms momentarily.
One boxing commentator said: “His body’s malfunctioning.”
And as he stumbled backwards towards the ropes, Medina pounced and unleashed a brutal series of powerful hits with his opponent unable to defend himself.
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So referee Christopher Young waved it off and extended Medina’s flawless record to 9-0 with eight by knockout.
However, moments later, Temple raised his red gloves – seemingly thinking he had been victorious despite the relentless pounding to his head.
The commentator added: “Temple doesn’t know where he is.
“Temple is completely out, he thinks that he has won the fight.”
Fans also expressed their fears for the 31-year-old from Missouri.
One said: “What was Temple doing afterwards? Looked like he was concussed.”
Medina – who thanked his opponent’s wife for her alleged motivation – said: “Temple f***ing sucked.
“I thought he was fighting his own battle in his head.
“He was scared from the first moment I saw him, he couldn’t even look at me in the eyes in the entire time we were weighing in or backstage.
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“I think he was trying to convince himself he was good enough to be in the ring with me, but obviously he wasn’t as you guys can tell.”
There was another crushing knockout on the undercard when Cubans Yoenis Tellez “shut Livan Navarro down like a Macbook” with a perfect left hook.
Medina took full advantage of his wobbling opponentCredit: DAZN Boxing
A heavy onslaught sealed victoryCredit: DAZN Boxing
Medina has a perfect record of nine wins from nineCredit: DAZN Boxing More

BULLISH Otto Wallin is relishing the opportunity to fight Anthony Joshua in Saudi Arabia next week.The 33-year-old will take on the former heavyweight champion in Riyadh on December 23.
Anthony Joshua and Otto Wallin are set for battle next weekCredit: Reuters
Wallin has revealed that he was surprised to get the call from AJ’s camp, for three reasons.
Chatting to Boxing Social, the Swede said: “He’s got a new trainer, short notice, southpaw again, so I didn’t really understand it.
“I didn’t think they would pick me, I was surprised and I didn’t think it was the best move but I get the chance to beat him and really cement my name up there with the best heavyweights in the world.”
Wallin rose to prominence in 2019 when he fought Tyson Fury in a bloody battle.
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He fell to the Gypsy King on points, but not without brutally cutting him, leaving the current WBC champ needing 47 stitches.
The 6ft 5in powerhouse has since won six fights in a row, including wins over Dominic Breazeale and Murat Gassiev.
He is not short of confidence heading into his bout with AJ, and said of the Brit after their first press conference: “I felt he was stiff, tense and nervous.
“He seemed very unsure of himself. I think he is a guy that takes himself pretty seriously.
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“He told me not to shake my hand after if I’m talking now so I said I’m not here to make friends, I’m going to do whatever it takes to win this fight.”
Joshua, 34, is looking to make it three wins on the bounce since losing his Oleksandr Usyk rematch, following low-key triumphs over Jermaine Franklin and Robert Helenius.
Following those Usyk defeats, as well as his previous loss to Andy Ruiz Jr, Wallin believes there are holes in Joshua’s game that he can exploit.
Asked about that subject, he said: “Definitely. He’s already been beaten three times. There’s no secret he can get beat.
“I think that now more than before his mind is in a bad spot. He has too much pressure on his shoulders and he’s feeling it.
“That’s hard for him. He’s not the champion and that brings him down. It shows with all his different trainers.”
Wallin’s promoter Dimitry Salita has suggested that Joshua could RETIRE if he loses next weekend.
While AJ recently took aim at old foe Fury, calling him a “fat slob”.

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